Rotary valve.



E. R. HOBBS.

ROTARY VALVE.

APPLlcATloN r|LED1uN7.191a.

1,137,758. V Patented May 4, 1915.

z-sHEETs-.s'HEET 2.

l l IH 'I INV I Ss ' l' "a Q l. t@ g "3 ""5 i H fm f 'ELBnar B. Horses, or BUHL, IDAHO.

'i nc'raar vant/n T all whom c; may] concern ,Be it lnoivnthat I','ELBERT R.' Hoses,

citizen of the UnitedV Sta-tes, residing at" Buhl, in the county of Twin 'Falls andState` 'of Idaho, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Valves', of

which the followingis a specification,reference being hadl therein torthe accompanyingy drawing.

f My .invention relates to valve gleari s i'-fhor fluid engines'and more-'particularly to rotary An object of my in v rotating valve-'that w llx'vork equally v vell with both low. and highspeed enginesfand will perform the function Qta doublevalv'e with greater eiiciency and simplicity of opf. eration than has heretofore been accomplished with the usual reciprocating-double* valve.4

vAnother object of theinventionis4 to pr o' vide a double acting valve that can be op-gy mun-icatevvith' the peroratio-ns 7 to 18 in lThe 'recess 22 and the lovverv {neen-A erated froml the -engine through a simple means o1 transmissionlinstead of the'tWo v with the er aiding '.ecc'entrics necessary to the operation ofthe 4'usual reclprocatingdouble valve. A further object isto reduce the number' ther to so construct `the parts aste compensate forfvariati'ons in certain Wearing factors such as velocity, rubbing surface, etc.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 a .top-plan vievv of a preferred form' of valve seat,v Fig. 2 lis a top plan vview of a .valve plate adapted'to coperate with the valve seat of Fig. 1, Fig. `Bis 'cap piece or cut-off valve orcoperation v alve plateof Fig. 2, Figs. 1?, 2?* and. 3a. are modified forms of. cooperating members, Fi@ 4 isl a. cross-sectional view' taken on theliine fre-'w otFig. 2,'and Figi) is an assembled xfie\v partly' in `section and showing the relation of `the several parts and transmission that may be used.

' chamber 23 is 1n constantcommunication a'form of x- R'eferring to Figsjil, 2, 3 and' 4,*.1isthe valveseat' or base plate infvvhich the cylinder ports of 'a steam or other fiuid'enigine terminate at the apertures l 'and 5. A hole 6 is 'provided in the baseplate to admit,' concentric shafts for operating the valve mem-f i Spe'cicationof Letters Batent.

ition is to provide -a 'plate 2.

and arranged as' -to with the perforations surfaces and relatively "moving parts in a valve of the. above type and'fur?- parts.'

a top plan view of a rammen nay a, reas.

application inea maar, 191s. serial No. 772,404.

7 to 18 inclusive, in the-valvevplate2 register with the apertures e and inthe base plate l,

so'that as the plate 2 isy revolved upon ,the

through lplate 1 .andv keyed in thejshaft hole 19. of plate 2, Said perfora- `tions 'will loe successively brought over the apertures 4 andi. Arc shaped recesses 20 vand21 are provided on the under part of the plate '2 and are adapted to pass'over the plate 1 by means ofA a suitable hollow shaft passing loosely outer part of the apertures 4 and 5. The`rc' eesses and 21 each pass around the plate 2, near the circumference, so far als'to be Vjust out ofconnection With the apertures 4 andj 5 lwhen the platesvl and 2 are positioned in the i.

.angular relation shown. The recesses 420 'and 21 communicate4 respectively, Withper- 4o'rations Tand 18. The `cap-piece or cutoff valve member -3 is fformed with a' recess" 22 anda chamber 23K each adapted to.c oming of the' chamber 23 are .so proportioned 7-,i8 of the 'plate' 2 when the members 2 and 3 are in theangular be revolved upon the' member 2 by, means of a lsuitableshaft passing loosely thronghthe:

shaftof plate 2 and'ixedly connectedto the.

order named and. in the-angularposition inv dicated, there will be no communication betvveenvanyI of the Ispaces of the different However,- if the .cap-piece B is'rotated in a clockwisedirection, the recess22 Will bel brought into vcommunication with one or vseveral ofv the perforations 13 to4 18 vaccording tothe amount of rotation, and the chamber 23 Will be brought into communica-" tion with the vsame number of perforations in the group 7 5012, and with therecess' 20 via the perforation 7. The recess 22 is in constant communication vvith a source of vpower through any suitable means such as a' steam chest, to be later described, and the with an'exhaust pipe through" the hollenv spindle'24. -If, while in therelative-positions just described, both members 2 and '3 i are rot-ated together counter clockwise, upon b'e out of connection positionshovvn The member 3 is adapted to l wide angular movement, as only 9;, rotation of the idler 58 abouty the spindles is required to effect a 180 adjustment of the valve members. Other meansmay be used for adjusting the relative positions of the valve members 2 and 3, such as the well known spirally-slotted sleeve and pin connection between the concentric spindles '62 and 65. The hollow spindles 62 and` 24 pass out of the steam 'chest through suitable stuiiiing boxes 68 and 68a, respectively. Steam is' conducted to the steam chest through the pipe 73 and valve 74.

The operation is as follows: Assuming that the valve adjusting arm 70 has been set to bring the recess 22 into communication with the perforation 13, and the exhaust chamber 23 into communication with the recessy 20 via perforation 7, and that steam, under pressure, is admitted into the steam chest 49, the steam will pass into the head end of the cylinder via recess 22, perforat-ion y13, aperture 4 and duct 52. This causes the piston of the engine to be driven forward turning the ily wheel, in a well known manner, which motion of the fly wheel is transmitted to the valve gear in a manner as before described. As the piston moves forward, the crank end of the cylinder is exhausted via duct 51, aperture 5, channel 20, perforation 7, exhaust chamber 23 and hollow spindle 24 to a condenserA or to atmosphere. The admission of steam into the head end of the cylinder will continue until the perforation 13 passes wholly out of communication with the aperture 4 while the crank end will continue to exhaust, `through the channel above traced, until the vpiston reaches the end of its stroke and the fly wheel has made 95 a revolution, whereupon the recess 22 moves out of communication with the aperture 5 and the relation between the apertures 4 and 5 and the rotating valve members becomes reversed.

This reversal causes steam to pass into the crank end of the cylinder via the spaces 22, 13, 5 and 51 and permits the head end to ex- 7, 23 and 24, thus -causing a reversed operation of thepiston -which completes the rotation of the fly wheel. The operation above described covl ers a complete cycle of operation of parts.

The portion of the cycle during which steam 1s admitted may be varied by adjustmentof the valve members as set forth the'idev members are made with gradual increasingy hardness from the center toward the periph ery. Another means employed for gcompensating for the increased. wearing rate at the periphery of themembers 1 and 2, is to cut. away portions of the rubbing surfaces where the wearing rate isv low tof', bring it up to the maximum and therebyv produce uniform wear. p

In practice I contemplate using eitherone or both of these means for eii'ecting uniform wear in the same valve gear. For example, conditions `may arise where it is required to have the valve seat 1 integral with some massive part of the engine which would make the first method, that of variation in hardness, difficult and therefore would require the application ofthe latter method, that of varyingV the amount of wearing surace. i

In order to compensate for unequal wear due to the fact that those portions of the valve seat which contact withv solid portions vof the rotating member will wear aty a greater rate than those portions which contact with the perforated or recessed portions of the rotating member, the solid portions may be varied in diameter or portions of the valve seat recessed or cut away, so as to distribute the wear equally.

Various other arrangements of the different parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the steam chest and valve mechanism may be so positioned with relation to the other parts that the shaft 65 majT be formed integral with the shaft 61 or the shaft ofI the liy wheel and thus either reduce or do away with the intermediate transmission. i

Having thus described my invention, what desire to secure by Letters Patent is: f

1. Valve mechanism comprising a valve seat having apertures therein, a movable valve plate having passages therein adapted t0 be brought intol communication with said apertures in the valve seat` and means for connecting a sourceof operating'fluid with one or more of said passages.

2. Valve mechanism comprising a valve seat having apertures therein, a movable valve plate having passages therein adapted to be brought into conimunication with said apertures in the valve seat, and means opel ating in fixed relation to said valve plate for connecting.a source of operating iiuid with one or more of said passages.

S. Valve mechanism comprising a valve seat having apertures therein, a valve plate having a plurality. of groups of passages isolated from each -other andlmovable in relation to said valve seat to bring each of said passagesinto communication vvith the apertures in the valve seat during a determinate portion of the movement of said plate and means for simultaneously connecting one or more ot' said passages of one group with a source of .operating fluid and one or more.

of the other group of passages to exhaust.

4. Valve mechanism comprising a valve seat having apertures therein, a valve plate having a plurality of groups of isolated pas sages thereinand adapted to be rotated upon said valve seat=to bring said groups of passages vinto communication Wi h said apertures alternately, and an ad'ustable valve member having inlet and eu iaust recesses and adjustable in relation to the valve plate to Ybring one of said recesses into communication With one onmore passages in one of said groups and Lto bring the other of said recesses into communication with one or more passages in another of said groups..

5. Valve mechanism comprising a valve seat having apertures therein, a rotatable `valve plate having al pluralityT of isolated passages therein, rotatablev fluid conveying means adjustablein relation to said `valve plate to connect a Iportion of said passages vvith a source of operating fluid and another portion vvith an exhaust, and means for rotating said valve plate and said luidpconveying means in fixed relation to each other to bring said passages into communication with said apertures successively.

6. Valve mechanism comprising a valve seat having apertures therein, a rotatable valve plate having a plurality of isolated passages therein, rotatable fluid conveying means adjustable in relationto said valve plate to connect a portion of said passages With a source of operating fluid and another portion ivith an exhaust, means for rotating said valve plate and said fluid conveying means in fixed relation to each other to bring said passages into communication ivith said apertures successively, and means for adjusting the fixed relation between said valve plate and lluid conveying means.

i'. Valve mechanism comprising a valve seat having apertures therein, a rotatable valve-plate therefor for controlling theA admission and emission of operating i'iiiid through said apertures, a rotatable Vregulating device forthe valve plate adjustable in relation thereto to vary the time of emission and means for rotating said valve plate and regulating device s vnchronously,. together ivitln means for adjusting said regulating device in relation to the valve plate during rotation. i

8. Valve mechanism comprisinga rotary cut-ottl valve, a rotary timing device associated vvith said cut-ofi1 valve and adapted upon variation in angular relation to the cut-off valve to vary the time of the cut-oil", means for rotating said cut-oit' valve and timing device in fixed relation to each other and to the movements of the engine and means for varying the angular relation betiveen said cut-off valve and timing device.

9. Valve mechanism comprising a valve seat having apertures therein, a valve plate having a plurality of groups of isolated passages adapted to be rotated upon said seat to bring said groups of passages into communication with said apertuiles alternately, and an adjustable member having inlet and exhaust passages. a portion of said member farthest from the valve open to the at mosphereor a condenser and affording a discharge passage for the exhaust.

l0. Yalve mechanism comprising a valve seat having apertures therein, a valve plate having a plurality of groupsv of isolated passages adapted to be rotated upon said seat to bring said groups of passages into communication with said apertures alternately, aiidan adjustable member having inlet and exhaust passages, a. portion of said member at one end. farthest from the valve open to a source of operating fluid and -turnishing conducting passage for the same.

11.111 a rotary valve mechanism, a movablepart compensated for .vear by having its contacting surfaces variably hardened in direct proportion to their relative rate of movement.

l2. Valve mechanism comprising a valve seat having apertures therein, and a valve plate having isolated passages therein and adapted to be rotated upon said valve seat to bring the passages into alternate communication with the apertures, said isolated passages diverging from each other and from the center in passing through the valve.

13. Valve mechanism comprising a valve seat having apertures` therein, and a valve plate having passages therethrough and adapted to be moved upon said v alve seat to bring the passages iii varied communication with the apertures, said passages expanding or increasing insize in passing through the valve, being larger on the faceo the valve that is in contact ivith the seat. In testimony ivhereoi' l atlix my signature in presence ot'tivo Witnesses.

ELBIC T R. HOBBS. .'Yitnesses f LINUS J. MILLER,

lV. J. YOUNG. 

